You can play an active role in your health care and gain access to new research treatments by participating in studies and programs. Some of the options are listed below...

Recent trials include:

Depression Attention for Women Now (The DAWN Study) This trial will compare the effectiveness of the usual care for depression that women receive in OB-GYN clinics with that care plus additional depression care given by a social worker.

The supplemental care will include mental health information, regular in-person or phone meetings, and a choice of antidepressant medication or talk therapy (or possibly both).

Participants must be 18 or older.

This one-year trial is in the Seattle area and sponsored by the University of Washington, in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Integrated Treatment for Comorbid Depression and Obesity in Adolescents The trial will combine treatments for depression and obesity in teens into one treatment.

It will be divided into three major phases, including an open trial phase in which participants will exercise, learn healthy-eating guidelines and receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), as well as a randomized phase where a control group will only receive CBT for depression.

Participants must be 12-18 years old, live at home and be at or above the 85th percentile for body mass index (BMI), along with other requirements.

The trial is in Providence, R.I., and is sponsored by Brown University, in collaboration with NIMH.

During their first postpartum year, participants will receive either telephone-based care management (which includes regular phone calls and help getting specialized services) or treatment as usual, which doesn’t include those benefits.

Participants must be 18 or older, 4-6 weeks postpartum, and English speakers.

Biomarkers for Outcomes in Late-Life Depression (BOLD)The trial will evaluate how well a biomarker (a biochemical feature that can be used to measure the effects of treatment) can predict whether an antidepressant is effective in treating depression during the first week of treatment.

All participants will receive the antidepressant escitalopram throughout the trial.

fMRI Study of Treatment Changes in Major DepressionThis trial will examine if cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) provides the same healing effect on the brain for people with depression as antidepressants do.

It will also explore depression causes, symptoms and how gene differences are related to symptoms.

Concurrent Treatment for Depressed Parents and Depressed AdolescentsThis trial will develop an integrated treatment for depressed and suicidal adolescents with parents who are depressed and have a history of suicidal actions.

Ecosystem-Focused Therapy for Treating Older, Depressed Stroke SurvivorsThis study will evaluate the effectiveness of a specialized psychotherapy for treating elderly stroke survivors who are depressed.

Participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of two treatments: ecosystem-focused therapy (EFT), or education in stroke and depression.

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